In from the Cold
by Jaye Reid
Summary: Sequel to 'Turn of Events'. Helen decides it is time to take chances again.


In from the Cold 

By Jaye Reid.

Commenced: 20.02.2000

Completed: 29.06.2000

Disclaimer: Southern Star own Water Rats and all their characters. I however own the character of Judy Grant. Ohhh I own something!

Authors notes: Oh another one finished!! This has been kicking around longer than 'Circuitous Motives' wondering if it would ever see the light of day. I like the course the writers are taking with the character of Helen these days. It is nice to see a softer side of Helen.

~*~*~*~

Helen sat at the table fidgeting nervously. She tried to figure out why she was feeling like this. Nervous? Christ why was she nervous? Hmm, glad she had given up smoking though, or she'd have gone through half a packet by now. This was crazy. To be like this at her age.

Not as if she hadn't met someone new before. But hell, it had been awhile. Now, don't try to be nice, try to be yourself. Maybe that was why these things always stuffed up. She'd try to be nice, instead of who she was. Well she *was* a nice person she told herself, just… ah.. shit maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Helen continued to emotionally beat herself up for the next five minutes until Judy arrived.

"Hi there Helen. Am I late?" said Judy with a cheery smile as she sat down at the table opposite her.

"No… no. I was a bit early," Helen replied. "So how are you?"

"Um, yeah good, yourself? I was a bit nervous about meeting you actually. I wasn't sure if you would be here," she offered as she foraged around in her bag before producing a packet of cigarettes and lighter and putting them on the table. "Oh sorry, you don't mind do you? Bad habits I suppose follow me."

"No, that's fine. I was just thinking about when I used to. And I'm sort of glad that I don't anymore! I wasn't sure if you would have changed your mind too," Helen smiled. "How's the ankle?"

"Coming along nicely. Saw my Doctor the other day. He said there wouldn't be any permanent damage, thanks to you. And besides if I didn't show up, you'd have put IA onto me if I didn't return your clothes," Judy laughed.

"Oh I'm not quite that bad," Helen chuckled. "I would have got the detectives to harass you before I contacted the other mob. Glad to hear the ankle is coming along then. You know, I was just doing what I'd been trained to…"

"Hey Helen!"

Oh shit thought Helen, just great. Speak of the devil and they were sure to appear. She turned around in the direction of the voice.

"Hello there Rachel," replied Helen as Rachel sauntered up to the table. Helen had forgotten that it had been Rachel herself who had told her about this little café. It wouldn't have been totally inconceivable not to have bumped into her.

"Eating in?" asked Helen and then wished she hadn't. It would have been rude not to invite her to eat with them.

"Nah… just grabbing something to go. Jack's out in the car. We're looking into that ahh… murder out at Milsons Point. It's just not adding up. But hey, you don't want to hear about it on your day off."

"Rachel? You're the Rachel from the Station?" asked Judy.

"Ah yes. Ummm…." started Rachel, turning her attention away from Helen.

"Judy. Judy Grant. I was one of the seconded uniforms working New Years Eve. There was a call for you, some guy on a mobile, just before midnight?"

"Ah yeah, I forgot about that," said Helen looking from Rachel to Judy. "But he didn't leave a name. Judy took the call, said he would phone back?"

"Yeah," said Judy, "did he?"

Rachel smiled. "Yep. I think so. Just waited until it was New Years Eve where he was."

"Frank?" smiled Helen.

"Yeah, the bastard. Got out of Venezuela when it started getting too hairy with all the flooding, partied the night away in Jamaica. Didn't even *occur* to him to let anyone know he was okay. Anyway, I'll leave you two in peace to have lunch," grinned Rachel figuring she was interrupting something. "You back on deck tomorrow Helen? We haven't managed to cross paths since New Years Eve. I've been so damn busy with all these New Years Eve related cases."

"I'm back first thing tomorrow, so don't be late," replied Helen.

"Ah good, we will catch up then. Nice to meet you Judy. See ya later Helen."

"See you at work Rachel," said Helen.

"Nice to put a face to a name," smiled Judy.

Rachel nodded and disappeared back up to the front counter.

Judy turned back to Helen. "Frank was…?"

"Her partner… another 'D', left last year. Extended leave to go sailing the ocean."

"Ah, the love of her life," smiled Judy, "it's written all over her face at the mention of his name."

"Yeah – he's one of them," Helen replied.

Helen wondered how the hell she was going to avoid the grilling from Rachel at work. Maybe she wouldn't say… oh bullshit, Rachel was going to have a field day.

"…but if you'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Oh sorry, what?" said Helen, only catching the end of Judy's sentence. "Sorry million miles away. What did you say?"

Judy took a deep breath and started again.

"I said… so why isn't there someone in your life?" she repeated. "and if you don't want to tell…"

"No, that's fine. I heard the rest. Well…" Helen shrugged. She had asked herself the same question so many times since Gillian. "I don't know really. You know what the job's like. You leave early in the morning, get home late at night. Stress, stress more stress. Perhaps… I suppose I'm too difficult to live with. Too set in my ways. But hey, I could ask you the same question you know."

"There was someone," replied Judy. "She was killed in a MVA about five years ago. I just haven't met anyone else. Perhaps I haven't really tried though."

"Oh I'm sorry. Five years? Just before you went to Gosford?"

"Yeah, that's *why* I went to Gosford. Had to get away. Somewhere different," she replied.

"And you don't miss the thought of getting promoted up the ranks? I mean I haven't let it hold me back," asked Helen.

"No, not really. It's not a bad crew up in Gosford. Maybe I will head back down here to the city someday. If I find a reason to need to be in the city more often. But at the moment it isn't that much of a hassle travelling."

"I haven't been to Gosford in ages," replied Helen. "I'll have to come up there sometime."

"Well let me know when you are," smiled Judy. "I could make you dinner."

"Sounds good. I'm not much of a cook. We will have to compare rosters. See what we can organise in the near future."

"I think I would really like that Helen. Anyway, let's order. I don't know about you, but all this talk about dinners and cooking is getting to me. I'm starving."

"Yeah," smiled Helen, "me too."

~*~

"So how was lunch?" grinned Rachel as she leaned on the front counter the next morning.

"Lunch? Oh yesterday? Yeah fine thanks. What about yours?" replied Helen as she walked across the office to put some files in the filing cabinet.

"Good. So she's a cop?" continued Rachel. She stood there smiling at Helen, watching her try to be busy to avoid her questions. The same tactic Rachel used when the questions were being fired form the other direction.

"Yeesss…" said Helen, grabbing a file and opening it. She screwed up her face as if the information was not what she wanted. She looked up at Rachel who was still standing there, "she mentioned it remember? Working here New Years Eve? She ended up in the harbour and she borrowed some of my gear as she didn't have any spare clothes with her. She was returning them."

"Ohhh yes…. that's right. You were pretty damn happy New Years morning actually weren't you?" Rachel grinned.

"Okay Rachel. Enough with your dancing around. Your point is?" said Helen dryly stopping and putting the file down on the counter. "I've got work to do and you should have too. Did you realise you were late this morning? I believe Jack and Mick are already up in the Detectives office. Probably waiting for you?"

Rachel walked over to her friend and put her arm around her shoulder as if she was going to tell her a secret.

"Well, my point is, you know Helen…" Rachel said quietly, tilting her head to one side and screwing up her nose, "coppers and coppers? Rarely works, bad combination."

"Really?" replied Helen.

"Well… that's what *you* always tell *me* isn't it?" Rachel stated trying to look serious.

"And you listen to me don't you?" asked Helen.

"Ah… no."

"So, what makes you think *I* would listen to you?" she questioned.

"You won't," grinned Rachel as she left, "but I had to say it. See ya Helen!"

"Yeah… ta. Go do some work," Helen called after her as Rachel clambered up the stairs to the detectives office.

Helen glanced a the daily newspaper that was left lying open on the horoscope page on the front counter. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching as she scanned through for her star sign.

She smiled to herself as she read the prognosis for her upcoming week. It certainly looked favourable.

"You make your own luck and you never know *who* may cross your path. A new love perhaps," offered Tayler with a grin as she wandered down the stairs.

Helen closed the paper quickly.

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked straight-faced.

"The horoscope," she replied.

"Oh that, no, some lazy sod left the paper lying here," she stated. "Ha! That stuff, nah don't believe in it."

"Yep, sure Sarge. I'm off with Tommy and Gavin. Have a good day!" she said cheekily before she gave her aunt a wave as she headed out the office door.

"Yes I will," Helen smiled as she decided that Tayler obviously knew something about her lunch date from the day before. Was nothing private around here she thought. Rhetorical question really, she knew the answer was no!

And there was only one person who could be responsible for *this* security leak.

"RAACHHELLL…!"

The End.


End file.
